Every tree matters

When typhoon Milenyo hit a few years ago, the young tree in our property fell. We don’t live there yet. So we only knew when we came for a visit. I was so sad about it. I wish we could have saved it.

Some people would go to great lengths to save a tree. Our family’s friend transplanted a fallen (dying) tree onto her property. It lived beautifully after.

A Toronto landmark. Kit Kat restaurant famously has an old tree growing right through the building. It is still alive.

While away, I got a message that my favourite old tree in our neighbourhood at home was cut down. The ones who cut them were given a permit from the DENR. Whatever I say now may be futile. The tree is dead. They had a permit… whatever that meant.

It’s been weeks since I heard that news. I haven’t seen the carnage yet. I feel really sad about it. I know that the kids will cry a lot when they find out.

Yesterday while taking a walk in downtown Chicago, I noticed some trees with tags on them. Very powerful messages.

With the summer heat in the Philippines, don’t we wish we had more trees in the city?

I wish people in my neighbourhood could see this.

A set of tree tags from Morton Arboretum.

The signs came from Morton Arboretum in Chicago. They created this wonderful campaign for the month of April where students and other organizations can get a tree tagging kit. Teachers are also given lesson plans. They also hand out sample press releases so groups and communities can share the news. Very powerful. Know more about the tree tags here.

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I’m willing to design the tags for free if this pushes through. You can check out my work at http://blog.nsdesign.ph 🙂

Marla Darwin

http://mamaisworking.blogspot.com/ Meikah Ybañez-Delid

Yes, let’s do something like this! 🙂 I see old trees being cut down along Amorsolo St. in Makati, too. And I missed walking along that street under the shade. Will take photos one of these days!

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=600596199 Zee Castro

The 50+ foot mango tree in front of our house (private subdivision in QC) is scheduled to be cut down too 🙁 My family planted that tree decades ago but Lolo made a mistake so it’s half a foot away from our property
line. The descendants of the owner of the lot in front of our house
insists that the tree is blocking his “bwelo” to his gate 🙁 So many
possible solutions to his problem, pero, hell, they just want to cut
down the tree. We can’t do anything about it because apparently they
already have a DENR permit. Sayang! That’s the tree that produces the
best mangoes in our property. *sniff*

http://www.facebook.com/bunny.banaria Bunny Banaria

About two years ago there was a vacant lot somewhere here in BF where about ten trees were cut down to give way to the construction of an establishment. I remember some of those trees were acacia. They also had a permit from DENR. The building is still under construction until now.

Anonymous

I agree with you. There is a wooded area near I live that has been entirely cut down, I don’t know what they are going to do with the space. It made me sad and frustrated because everytime I pass by that area, I always noticed the temperature to be cooler. People here mindlessly cut down trees to prioritize putting up of buildings, etc. and they themselves complain later on how hot it is.

Anonymous

I doubt that trees increase property values here in Manila (takes up valuable space, habitat for insects, “spirits”, care and cleaning up after fallen leaves). More’s the pity.

Anonymous

I don’t understand road widening projects where they cut big old trees but leave Meralco posts sticking out of the concrete. They just pour the concrete around the posts. So you can’t really use the new road (except for maybe loading and unloading) because there are concrete posts every 500 meters or so. It’s stupid.

Anonymous

Dear Daphne,

I would certainly participate in a group effort to plant trees around the metro. I don’t know how to get started with the campaign but I’d really want to actively participate.

Thanks,

Sheng

christine

I know what you mean. I grew up in Paranaque in the 80’s and the 90’s. What Sta Rosa Laguna and Nuvali is now, is what Paranaque used to be before – GREEN. There were plenty of open fields and trees. Sucat road used to be two lanes back then. I remember biking past a bahay kubo inside our village (they probably lived in that plot of land before the village got bought. The owner didn’t get rid of them yet coz it was underdeveloped anyway) and there was this old lady in a baro’t saya with a hairbun tending to her garden everyday. Then, more homes got built. Sucat road expanded to what it is now. More commercial developments followed. Now, everytime I come back, I feel sad and nostalgic for how things were before. It’s all commercial, commercial, commercial! Even BF homes, a green suburban village, has been commercialized on the inside! I’m all for development, but there has to be a limit. There has to be a balance. It can’t be cement and asphalt all over. We need greenery! We need trees! We need parks! We need wide open spaces!
I’m glad you wrote about this. I dream of giving back to my “roots” one of these days – by going green. Start a Plant a Tree foundation or something. It’s wishful thinking on my end at the moment, but if you’re on to something, I would love to help in my own way.